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Ask Slashdot: Keeping Personal Tech Cool In Extreme Heat?

Posted by timothy on from the we'd-like-to-know-in-middle-texas-too dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I live in the Middle East. Summer temperatures occasionally reach 60C/140F, well over the operating specs for most consumer tech. Quite a number of work and residential compounds are secured, prohibiting everything from computers to cameras to phones to USB sticks to car remote controls. When I know that I'm visiting one of those compounds, I end up leaving all the tech I can at home or in the office, and only bringing a cell phone, and leaving it in my car. However, "only a cell phone" has quickly morphed into "only two cell phones, a car MP3 player and remote, and .... ooh, shiny... a new tablet... and an electric razor just in case I have to touch up before a party in a compound." I'm wondering what kind of technologies we have for keeping all this tech cool for four hours in the car. Overnight events might last longer, but won't be as hot."

4 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Texas & iPhone 4S by kenh · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was in Texas at the end of July, and the average temperature was about 105 degrees F. I left my cellphone in the car to charge while I was out and about, came back an hour later and found my phone displaying the Termperature warning (which apparently kicks in at 113 degrees F)...

    --
    Ken
  2. 12v Thermo Electric Cooler by Aranykai · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Never owned one myself, but they claim they cool 40F below ambient. Not sure what kind of drain this would put on your battery, but perhaps a marine battery could handle it.

    --
    If sharing a song makes you a pirate, what do I have to share to be a ninja?
    1. Re:12v Thermo Electric Cooler by zugmeister · · Score: 4, Interesting

      When I was much younger, I had a truck with a second deep cycle battery in the back. Wiring went from the hot side of the alternator to a battery isolator (think two big diodes) so when running both batteries charged, but they couldn't draw off each other. I could run the deep cycle battery completely dead and not affect the starter battery at all. Once I even trickle charged the starter battery from the deep cycle and effectively jump started myself by jumping the isolator terminals.

      There's probably more practical ways of doing it for a once-off but if this was a regular occurrance a large secondary deep cycle (or trolling) battery hooked to a cooler set to a moderate temperature may fit the bill.

  3. Re:probably not a worry by Zorpheus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 the maximum operating temperature is already 50 deg C. Can't find the maximum storage temperature atm, but it is probably about 70 deg C then.